Table of Contents: July 2012

As technology advances and devices become more affordable and adaptable, the use of technology—most notably, mobile technology—to inform and guide humanitarian relief efforts has become a reality. This month the PLOS Medicine Editors discuss the concept of digital humanitarianism and the possibilities it affords for facilitating collection and dissemination of information in crises and delivery of relief and development aid. The Editors discuss the how mobile phones were used in unexpected ways following the earthquake in Haiti to track population movements, and how worldwide, thousands of remote volunteers have aided in tracking and mapping humanitarian needs online. This mapping also occurred following the Christchurch earthquake, and more recently has been used in political crises such as that in Libya. Using these examples, the PLOS Medicine Editorial discusses the characteristics of digital humanitarianism (and its generation of data), organizations that promote digital humanitarianism, and the role of journals in a future where data can be generated faster and at higher volumes.